How Awe Slows Time And Supports Well-Being

I used to chase

awe like a destination. I thought awe needed a sunrise over the Grand Canyon, the granduer of redwood trees, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a far-away place. But now I know awe is quieter than that.

Awe is not found in the spectacle—it’s found in the stillness that comes after the noise.

I find moments of awe when I’m not trying to make them happen. When I pause long enough for the wind to remind me. Or to hear the birds in my backyard. Or see the tree tops swaying in the breeze. The birds don’t care about my deadlines. The trees move without asking for permission. And there I am, too. Rooted, aware, folded into the natural order of things.

I pause, and for a moment, nothing is wrong.

That’s the quiet miracle of awe. It shrinks the anxious little “me” and expands the awareness of “we.” I stop being the center of the story and become part of the vast, imperfect, beautiful whole.

And here’s the thing: I’ve spent a lot of my life in pursuit of imperfection. I know, weird.

But that was my motto when I was younger: “In pursuit of imperfection.” Not because I wanted messiness for its own sake, but because I sensed, even then, that real beauty doesn’t live in flawlessness. It lives in the cragy bark of an old tree, in the moss-covered roots, in the ache. In what is broken open. In what is becoming.

Science tells us that awe can be a balm for what ails us. It can increase joy, creativity, and connection. And it doesn’t require a mountaintop. Just presence.

And a little willingness to be undone by the beauty of imperfection.

Why Awe Matters

Awe activates what researchers call the “small self” effect. When you feel awe, your brain shifts from self-focus to outward attention, reducing stress and cultivating empathy and cooperation. This shift has measurable physiological benefits. I love that there are scientists studying how awe affects our bodies. Here are some of the things they’ve found:

Awe Increases Well-Being and Connection: A 2020 study led by emotion and social interaction expert Dacher Keltner and his colleagues at UC Berkeley found that a daily “awe walk,” a short walk taken with the intention of noticing beauty and vastness, led to significant increases in well-being, including greater joy and reduced anxiety. People who take awe walks report feeling more connected to others and less preoccupied with daily stress.

Awe Can Calm Your Body, Too: It’s not just your mindset that benefits from awe—your biology does, too. A study in Emotion found that people who regularly experienced awe had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6, a key marker of systemic

inflammation tied to aging and chronic disease. That means even brief moments of wonder might help quiet the kind of low-grade inflammation that can wear down our bodies over time.

Awe Has a Way of Bending Time: In the presence of awe, minutes stretch. We slow down, not because the world does, but because we finally catch up to it. A 2012 study in Psychological Science found that when people experienced awe, they felt like they had more time, were less impatient, and were more generous with their attention. Awe, it turns out, doesn’t just change how we feel. It changes how we live in time.

And in a world that often pulls us toward distraction, awe brings us back to the present moment. It helps us zoom out, reset, and remember that we’re part of something larger.

Practice: The 2-Minute Imperfect Awe Pause

You don’t need a grand vista to find awe. You just need a moment to pause. Try this 15-minute Awe Pratice from the Greater Good Science Center.

Or, wherever you are, try this simple 2-minute awe rest to tap into wonder:

1. Pause.
   Find a quiet moment in your day—on a walk, by a window, or right before sleep.
   
2. Notice imperfection.
   Look for what’s not polished but still full of life. The weathered texture of a leaf. The chipped edge of a mug. Your own tired eyes in the mirror. See the beauty in the details.
   
3. Zoom out.
   Ask yourself: What part of this connects me to the larger story?
   Let your awareness move from your body to your surroundings. From your breath to the sounds around you. From your thoughts to the feeling of being held in this moment.
   
4. Let it land.
   Breathe. Just be with it. Don’t rush to capture or define. Let awe wash over you like a wave you didn’t expect.
   

Repeat daily. Microdoses of reverence have macro effects on your mood, your biology, and your sense of meaning.